Plating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A processing barrel having a peripheral wall and supports for rotation about a horizontal axis, a discharge element being provided which in one sense of rotation allows articles to move relative to the wall about the barrel axis and in the opposite direction will lift the articles and drop them for collection by a receptacle positioned in the barrel.

United States Patent 72] lnventor George Hadley, deceased late of Petts Woods, Kent, England by Edith Emily Hadley and Jean Winiiried Hadley,

executrices [21] Appl. No. 727,760 [22] Filed May 6, 1968 [45] Patented Sept. 21,1971 [73] Assignee Electrochemical Development Limited [32] Priority May 9, 1967 [3 3] Great Britain 3 1 21522/67 [54] PLATING APPARATUS 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.C1 204/213, 259/30 [51] int. Cl C23b 5/78 [50] Field of Search 204/213,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,835 12/1905 Potthoff 204/213 1,093,384 4/1914 Charlton 204/213 1,946,440 2/1934 Herrmann 259/89 X 2,480,022 8/1949 Hogaboom 204/213 X 2,562,084 7/1951 Collick 204/213 X 2,752,130 6/1956 French 259/89 2,815,940 12/1957 Madsen 259/89 X 2,898,283 8/1959 Howard. 204/213 3,096,270 7/1963 Lazaro 204/213 3,294,663 12/1966 Lazaro 204/213 3,337,442 8/1967 Kiefer et a1. 259/89 Primary Examiner-Howard S. Williams Assistant Examiner-R. .I. Fay Allorneyl,awrence E. Laubscher ABSTRACT: A processing barrel having a peripheral wall and supports for rotation about a horizontal axis, a discharge elcment being provided which in one sense of rotation allows articles to move relative to the wall about the barrel axis and in the opposite direction will lift the articles and drop them for collection by a receptacle positioned in the barrel.

PATENTED SEP21 l9?! 3,607; 703

SHEET 1 [IF 2 I i (D -:=T=-

m tn I n I l l r 11 I I f l f I j INVENTOR i m BY dece used DITH EMILY HADLEY HADLEY l JEAN WINIFR BY CUh' ces ATTORNEY PATENTED SEPZI 197i SHEET 2 BF 2 y INVENTOR I f 1/1 1% ray deceased BY EDITH EMILY HADLEY JEAN WINIFRED HADLEY BY Executrlces PLATING APPARATUS The present invention relates to processing barrels, particularly for carrying out plating processes, for example electrolysis and pickling, wherein small articles such as nuts and bolts to be treated are placed in a rotating barrel which is immersed in a liquid for example the electrolyte. Plating electrodes, in the appropriate processes, extend along the stationary axis of the barrel.

In the past in order to insert and remove articles from a barrel, an openable lid has been provided on the side rather than the end surfaces of the barrel. At least unloading has had to be carried out manually through this lid, which has been a disadvantage in attempts to automate fully processing plants.

The present invention provides a means whereby this unloading can be carried out automatically. In accordance with the present invention there is provided a processing barrel comprising a discharge member extending along the interior of the barrel and when the barrel axis is horizontal presenting a barrier to an article on the barrel inner surface when moving relative to that surface about the barrel axis in one direction of relative movement only whereby an article in one sense of rotation of the barrel may travel over the surface under the action of gravity while in the opposite sense the article will be carried to an upper region of the barrel and thence fall under gravity.

In order that the present invention may be well understood there will now be described an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a processing barrel in accordance with the invention and a mounting structure therefor, and

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 11ll ofFIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the barrel 1 shown therein is approximately 30 inches long and 15 inches in diameter having a slight taper from one end 2 to the other 3. It is made of a perforated material so that when it is immersed in processing liquid such as an electrolyte, the contents of the barrel will be contacted by the liquid. The precise material will depend upon the process being carried out, e.g. stainless steel for Chemical Block treatment, Monel metal for pickling and cleaning. The barrel is suspended from a frame assembly 4 from which bearing mounts 5 and 6, one each end of the barrel I depend. The bearing mount 5 at the narrow end 3 of the barrel 1 conveys the drive by means of which the barrel can be rotated both clockwise and anticlockwise. It may be remarked that the barrel of the drawings insofar as described up to this point is of known construction. The electrodes which extend from the barrel ends are not shown or described as they form no part of the present invention.

The larger end 2 of the barrel has an opening 7 surrounded by the bearing 8 on which the barrel rotates. The opening is closable by a door diagrammatically indicated at 9. At the interior of the barrel grooves or channels 10 of generally semicircular cross section extend generally axially of the barrel.

As can be seen the barrel is of generally hexagonal cross section section being fabricated from six panels 11 and cut tube sections cross which define the grooves or channels 10 having arcuately curved inner surfaces. The adjacent edges 11a, 1 1b of adjacent panels are radially spaced so that the interposed cut tube sections present a radially extending internal article retaining face 10a directed in one sense only, relawith the door 9 closed, as it is during a plating process, there is no tendency for the articles being treated to collect in the grooves 10. However, after plating, the barrel is removed from the liquid and the door is opened. The barrel is then rotated in the anticlockwise direction. The articles collect in the ooves or channels 10, as these latter rise during rotation, are ifted to an elevated position in'the barrel say to about 1 o'clock and are then released, as each groove turns face downwards, to fall under gravity into a suitable collecting receptacle such as a trough (not shown) which is inserted through the opening 7 along the barrels axis. The slope of the channels causes the work to move towards the opening to ensure all work is collected. If desired the door may be omitted and an annular deflecting structure provided around the opening to stop work from falling out during processing.

What is claimed is:

l. A generally cylindrical horizontally arranged processing barrel for treating relatively massive bulk articles such as nuts and bolts, comprising a. a plurality of spaced circumferentially arranged axially extending side panels (11), said panels being relatively angularly oriented to cause a first longitudinal edge (11a) of a first panel to be spaced generally radially inwardly from the second longitudinal edge (11b of the adjacent second panel; and

b. means connecting each pair of said adjacent spaced longitudinal edges, comprising 1. an article retaining wall (10a extending generally radially outwardly from the first longitudinal edge of, and generally nonnal to, a first one of said panels; and a channel wall (12) having an inwardly facing arcuately curved inner face (10a the edge portions of which merge uniformly with the free extremity of said article retaining wall and with the second longitudinal edge of the second panel, respectively, whereby upon rotation of the barrel in a given first direction, said articles will be successively supported by gravity on the lowermost side panel, transferred smoothly into the groove defined by the arcuately curved inner face of said channel wall, and into abutting contact with said article retaining wall, said article retaining wall being operable upon further rotation of the barrel in said given first adjacent the uppermost portion of the barrel, said arcuately curved surface direction to elevate the articles to an intermediate position adjacent the uppermost portion of the barrel, said arcuately curved surface being operable, during further rotational movement of said barrel in said given direction from said intermediate position to said uppermost position, to deposit articles by gravity from said channel wall, said channel walls and said article retaining surface being so arranged in a recessed orientation relative to said side panels that upon rotation of the barrel in the opposite direction, the articles tumble from one side panel to the next adjacent side panel and remain by gravity in the bottom portion of the barrel.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side panels are generally planar and tapered to define a truncated conical barrel configuration, and further including a pair of end wall members connected with the opposite ends of said side panels, respectively, the larger end wall member containing a central opening through which articles may be introduced in and removed from said barrel.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the lowermost side panel at any given time is sloped to effect movement of the articles by gravity toward the larger wall member.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said sidewall panels is perforated and consists of a synthetic plastic material. 

2. a channel wall (12) having an inwardly facing arcuately curved inner face (10a ) the edge portions of which merge uniformly with the free extremity of said article retaining wall and with the second longitudinal edge of the second panel, respectively, whereby upon rotation of the barrel in a given first direction, said articles will be successively supported by gravity on the lowermost side panel, transferred smoothly into the groove defined by the arcuately curved inner face of said channel wall, and into abutting contact with said article retaining wall, said article retaining wall being operable upon further rotation of the barrel in said given first adjacent the uppermost portion of the barrel, said arcuately curved surface direction to elevate the articles to an intermediate position adjacent the uppermost portion of the barrel, said arcuately curved surface being operable, during further rotational movement of said barrel in said given direction from said intermediate position to said uppermost position, to deposit articles by gravity from said channel wall, said channel walls and said article retaining surface being so arranged in a recessed orientation relative tO said side panels that upon rotation of the barrel in the opposite direction, the articles tumble from one side panel to the next adjacent side panel and remain by gravity in the bottom portion of the barrel.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side panels are generally planar and tapered to define a truncated conical barrel configuration, and further including a pair of end wall members connected with the opposite ends of said side panels, respectively, the larger end wall member containing a central opening through which articles may be introduced in and removed from said barrel.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the lowermost side panel at any given time is sloped to effect movement of the articles by gravity toward the larger wall member.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said sidewall panels is perforated and consists of a synthetic plastic material. 